


Our World's About to Break

by coldflashwavebaby



Series: Fight as One [1]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012), DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes AU, Multi, Slow Build, Sort of prequel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-13
Updated: 2017-01-16
Packaged: 2018-09-17 03:50:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9302876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coldflashwavebaby/pseuds/coldflashwavebaby
Summary: The Flash disappears in 1945.Oliver Queen works to atone his sins.Firestorm is on the run.Captain Cold is betrayed.Mick Rory and Dr. Ray Palmer work to make the world a safer place.Kara Zor-El makes a decision that changes her life.Amaya Jiwe is forced from her home.But none of them know the real test is yet to come.Avengers: EMH AU





	1. The Flash

**Author's Note:**

  * For [asexual-fandom-queen (writeordietrying)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/writeordietrying/gifts).



> This story is just a prequel to another story, which is the actual show. These are the backstories of each hero. 
> 
> For pansexual-fandom-queen
> 
> (Also, sorry for the description. It sucks.)

* * *

 

**CENTRAL CITY, 1940 (SEVENTY-SEVEN YEARS BEFORE THE INCIDENT)**

 

           

            NAME: Allen, Bartholomew H

            BIRTHDATE: January 14th, 1919

            ADDRESS: 52 West Ave, Central City, Washington

            HEIGHT: 5’5

            WEIGHT: 110 LBS

            SUMMARY OF PATIENT HEALTH ISSUES:

            -ASTHMA

            -SCARLET FEVER

            -SINIUSITUS

            -CHRONIC OR FREQUENT COLDS

            -HEART TROUBLE

            -PALPUTATIONS OR POUNDING IN HEART

            -NERVOUS TROUBLE OF ANY SORT

           

            “Sorry, kid.”

            Barry groaned as the recruiter scratched an ‘x’ into the box reading, “Found not acceptable for induction into active military service”.  Hands shoved in his pockets, he trudged embarrassingly out of the recruitment office.

            “So, how’d it go?” Barry rolled his eyes. Iris fell into step beside him, smug expression on her face.

            “About as well as expected.”

            His foster sister chuckled. “Well, face it, Barry—you can’t even hold your own in a fight against me. Or even Cisco.”

            As though summoned by his name, Cisco Ramon approached them, his eyes darting between Barry and the recruitment office behind him. “Dude, you didn’t.”

            Barry sighed, refusing to answer.

            “You did, didn’t you?”

            Iris, the traitor, nodded. “He did. And they denied him…again.”

            “Yeah, yeah. Rub it in.” Barry growled, hanging his head. “You both get to go overseas to help out—” He motioned to Iris, “you as a nurse, and you,” he motioned to Cisco, “as a soldier. How is that fair?”

            Iris shrugged. “Someone has to stay behind, Barry. We can’t all be war heroes. Sometimes, we have to settle for the heroics that are accomplished here at home.”

            Barry scoffed. “So, what? I get to load up scrap metal on my little wagon?”

            “You don’t know, dude,” Cisco assured, “Maybe some miracle will happen. Maybe we’ll all be able to go and knock down some Nazis.”

            Barry shook his head. “It’s not about killing Nazis. It’s about doing the right thing—freeing countries from tyranny and helping others.” He dared another look back at the recruiter’s office. “And I’m going to enlist. One way, or another.”

 

0000000

 

AMERICA HEEDS THE CALL. PROJECT FLASH DECLARED A SUCCESS

 

BARRY ALLEN IS THE FLASH; MEET OUR NEWEST HERO AGAINST HIVE AND THE NAZIS

 

THE FLASH LEADS THE CHARGE—HUNDREDS OF POWs SAVED BY SUPER SOLDIER

 

MEET TEAM FLASH—THE TEAM BEHIND THE HERO. SPECIAL INTERVIEW WITH SECOND-IN-COMMAND CISCO RAMON

 

LOVE IN THE AIR FOR THE FLASH? NURSE TURNED FIGHTER IRIS WEST SEEN AT DINNER WITH OUR NATION’S HERO WHILE SECURING FRANCE.

 

THE FLASH PUSHES BACK; HUNTER “ZOOM” ZOLOMON OF HIVE ON THE RUN

 

0000000

 

**UNNAMED ISLAND IN THE ARCTIC, 1945 (SEVENTY-TWO YEARS BEFORE THE INCIDENT)**

 

           

            The boats moved swiftly and quietly across the water towards Zolomon’s island castle. The soldiers shifted anxiously, but the man at the head of the boat held a hand up to silence them. The Flash—clad in his red-leather suit—stood silently, watching Zoom’s castle come into view. Cisco—codename: Vibe—sat between him and Iris, weapon at the ready. This was it. This was the day they brought down Hunter Zolomon once and for all.

            Zolomon was the first person to be experimented on with dark matter, before Project Flash turned Barry into a speedster, and Cisco was turned into a lab rat by Nazi scientists after a mission gone wrong. Like Barry, Zolomon had the ability to run faster than any living thing, heal quicker than should have been possible, and, theoretically, even travel between realms.

            The rumors circulating were that Zoom was planning on testing the theory, and breaking a hole between the different worlds. They couldn’t let that happen.

            “Steady!” The Flash—Barry—whispered as they approached the shore. “Steady…” The boat bumped onto the beach, and Barry waved them on. They stealthily invaded, Iris leading her squadron towards the back of the castle while Barry and Cisco led the rest to the front entrance.

            Suddenly, a grenade landed at their feet. “Get down!” Barry ordered, grabbing Cisco by the arm and flashing him away from the blast. HIVE soldiers charged from hiding places amongst the rocks, firing at the Allies.

            “Flash!” One of the squad members shouted, firing at the oncoming soldiers. “Go inside! Stop Zoom!”

            Barry nodded. He took Cisco once again and ran through the soldiers, taking out as many as he could as he passed, until they stood in the doorway of the castle.

            It reminded Barry of the movies he, Joe, and Iris would catch at the theater. It was made of dark, cold stone, with grand stairwells and tall ceilings.

            Cisco whistled low. “This place is freaky.”

            Barry chuckled. “Come on. Let’s find Zoom.”

            Cisco nodded and raised his gun, taking the lead. Barry smiled; even though Barry was the one with the superpowers, Cisco still saw him as the skinny little kid who ran into trouble head first. His best friend.

            The two snuck through the castle, following the sounds of shouting and zaps of electricity. Cisco pushed open a heavy wooden door, and the pair found themselves in the upper levels of a large laboratory. Below them, a group of HIVE scientists were scurrying around, throwing switches and typing code into the computers. Around the edges of the room were cylinder-shaped glass prisons, each one holding…something. There were strange creatures in each one; things Barry had never even imagined. He frowned.

            “Have you ever seen anything like this before?”

            Cisco shook his head. “Never. A lot of this tech shouldn’t be available for another thirty years. And the rest looks like something created by H.G Wells. And the things in those tubes…” He shuddered.

            The scientists all skidded to a stop when blue lightning erupted through the room. When it stopped, Zoom stood in the center of the room in full speedster garb, black mask hiding his face. “You can come out, Flash.” He called out. “You forget—I can sense your speedforce. I know you’re here.”

            Guards ran onto the platform he and Cisco were hiding on. The two held their hands up in surrender, allowing themselves to be escorted to the lower levels.

            “Still doing Thawne’s dirty work?” Barry scoffed as they were practically thrown in front of the other speedster. Zoom removed his helmet to reveal the smirking face of Hunter Zolomon.

            “Please, Barry. I’ve moved on from that egomaniac’s vision.” He turned his attention to the tubes around them. “Do you like my creatures? As I’m sure your intelligence agents have told you, I’ve been perfecting a way to open up a portal in the multiverse. My scientists still haven’t found a way to tether it to a specific place, but we’ve had some interesting things come through.”

            The creatures inside of the traps clawed and beat on the glass, until Zoom raised a small remote and pushed a button. Barry hadn’t noticed the metal collars around their necks, but the minute the button was pressed, a red light flared alive on each, and the creatures flinched away in pain.

            “With these collars, we can control these beings and wipe out the Allies for good.” He stepped towards Barry and grabbed him by the neck. “Of course, I’ll need a stronger connection to the speedforce to power the portals longer. Someone who the speedforce ‘chose’.”

            Zoom lifted Barry into the air, cutting his air off until the Flash was clawing at the hand around his throat. Movement across the room caught his eye, and he knew his and Cisco’s distraction had paid off.

            “Iris…” He choked. “NOW!”  

             Two small beeps were the only warning any of them had before Zoom’s machine exploded. “Commandos, go now!” He heard Iris order, and a squad of soldiers charged into the room, firing at the HIVE soldiers. The explosion knocked out some of the power, and the creatures’ prisons began to open.

            “NO!” Zoom shouted, his grip on Barry tightening. Then, he grunted, his fingers releasing him. Cisco stood over him, the butt of his gun raised like a club.

            “You okay, Bare?”

            Rubbing his throat, Barry nodded. “It’s over, Zoom.”

            Zolomon sneered. “That’s what you think.” In a burst of blue lightning, he was gone.

            _No. Not this time._ “Iris, secure the fortress and get these creatures home!”

            “Got it!” She shouted back, taking out five HIVE agents.

            He turned to Cisco. “You should stay and help her.”

            His best friend snorted. “Yeah, that’s gonna happen. You wouldn’t make it without me. Just accept it and let’s catch this dick.”

            Barry nodded, taking his friend’s hand and flashing them to the roof, where Zolomon was climbing into a rocket. They jumped onto the ladder and death gripped the steps as the rocket shot off from the fortress.

            “We’re not letting him get away this time.” Barry growled, climbing up to the cockpit. Placing a hand on the glass, he vibrated until it shattered. “It’s over, Zoom!”

            The crazy Nazi laughed. “I agree, Flash. How unfortunate I won’t be able to harvest your abilities after all.” He pushed a button on the console, and his seat ejected. Barry let out a frustrated scream, until he noticed the countdown clock on the dash.

            Zoom left them a bomb.

            “Cisco!” He shouted back to his friend. “We have to jump!”

            Then, his heart stopped. Cisco’s foot was hung in a broken step on the ladder. He hurried down the ladder and pulled on Cisco’s leg.

            “Barry, leave me. I’m not gonna make it!” His best friend shouted.         

            Barry shook his head. “If you don’t make it, I don’t make it.”

            Cisco stopped his struggling. “I’m sorry.” Before Barry could ask what for, Cisco kicked him directly in the face. In his shock, Barry released the rungs of the ladder, and the rocket shot past him as he fell towards the arctic water below.

            The last thing he saw before hitting the water was Cisco staring down at him, right before the rocket blew to smithereens.


	2. Green Arrow/ ATOM & Heatwave

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, writing Mick and Ray was my favorite part of writing this whole story, but their story is split between this chapter and the last chapter of the story, because there's a time jump between them.

* * *

**CITY HALL, STARLING CITY, NINE WEEKS BEFORE THE INCIDENT**

Really, Oliver’s day had started so pleasantly. He and Thea had lunch at the restaurant their parents used to take them to before they died, his new bow came in, Queens Consolidated had an increase in stock prices.

 

            Leave it to HIVE to attack City Hall and ruin everything.

            “Overwatch, how many hostiles are inside?”

            _“About twenty.”_ His favorite tech responded.

            He fired an arrow from the building across the street and swung inside through an upper window, where at least seven of them were waiting. He fired his arrows, each with a taser end, and shocked the ghosts unconscious.

            “Lead the way, Overwatch.”

            Using security cameras, Felicity led Oliver through the building, warning him of dangers and leading him to take out nearly every ghost.

            _“The hostages are in the mayor’s office.”_ Felicity informed him. _“There are two ghosts in there, but Oliver, these guys seem tough. You may need back-up.”_

Oliver smirked. “I already have it.”

            As he burst into the room, the two ghosts rounded on him, guns raised. Before they could fire, however, both were brought down by shoulder shots from the window. Knocking their guns away, he nodded in thanks to Spartan, who was in sniper position on the roof across the street. He cuffed the ghosts. Then, he saw it.

            The weapons on the floor were A.R.G.U.S issue. He frowned.

            “Spartan,” He called through his comms, “come get the hostages. I have to go talk to someone.”

0000000

           

**A.R.G.U.S HEADQUARTERS, UNDISCLOSED LOCATION, NINE WEEKS BEFORE THE INCIDENT**

“Waller!”

            Twenty guns were pointed at Oliver as he stomped into what Felicity called, “Mission Control”, with one of the ghosts’ guns in his hand. Amanda Waller, however, raised a hand, and the guns were lowered. “Hello, Mr. Queen. To what do I owe this visit?”

            He threw the gun on the table in the center of the room. “You want to explain to me how I found an A.R.G.U.S issue gun in the hands of a HIVE ghost?”

            She pursed her lips. “A.R.G.U.S business, Mr. Queen, is top secret. Even to you. Unless this is your way of rejoining—we can always use someone of your skill as an agent.”

            Lyla, the assistant director and Dig’s wife, stepped forward to look over the gun. “This was found with a ghost?”

            Oliver nodded. “I’m graciously assuming that A.R.G.U.S hasn’t suddenly sided with HIVE, so I think it’s time you all admitted there’s a hole in your security. A.R.G.U.S has been compromised.”

            Lyla paled at the realization, but like always, Waller remained unfazed. “Which is why, now more than ever, we need you as an agent.”

            “Never again, Waller.” Oliver hissed. “I am not going to kill and torture for A.R.G.U.S anymore. That part of my life is over—I’ve changed.”

            He turned to leave, but Waller’s voice stopped him. “You think you can take down HIVE and every other supervillain you encounter by yourself, or with minimal back up, without killing? You can’t. In a world of extremes, you must react with extremes. You need a team, and A.R.G.U.S is that team.”

            Oliver clenched his fists. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I need a team. But not your team.”

            With that, he left the room, barely hearing Waller’s orders to, “Bring in the Black Canary”. He knew she’d take the HIVE threat seriously, even if she acted like it was nothing. He thought about her suggestion—a team.

            He knew Felicity would agree. She’d tried to convince him for years to get more help than Dig since Thea retired. But how could he just find people he trusted? Who out there could really help him protect people?

 

* * *

 

 

**PALMER MOBILE LAB, ZAMBESI, AFRICA, EIGHT WEEKS BEFORE THE INCIDENT**

           

            “This is amazing!” Ray laughed as he adjusted the settings on his microscope. “Just this little sample of dwarf star alloy would power my A.T.O.M suit for fifty-years! Imagine what a larger sample could accomplish? We may have discovered an environmentally friendly power alternative, Mick!”

            “That’s great, Haircut.” The microscope was pushed back, and a sandwich fell onto the desk in front of him, and Ray looked up to see his head of security/partner glaring down at him with a raised eyebrow. “Now eat the damn sandwich. It may be able to power the world, but it ain’t gonna stop you from keeling over from low blood sugar.”

            Ray smiled warmly up at him. “Always looking out for me.”

            “Someone has to.” Mick grunted, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned back against the desk.

            Under Mick’s watchful eye, Ray picked up the sandwich and took a large bite, knowing he wouldn’t be allowed to get back to work until he finished the whole thing. “So, any trouble out there?”

            Mick shrugged. “Couple of villagers were watching us, but as long as we didn’t cross the border into their territory, they left us alone. Might check the perimeter again this afternoon, though. Some of the other guards thought they saw signs of someone else out here.”

            Ray nodded. “Need my help?” He asked worriedly. He didn’t like the idea of Mick going into danger, even if it was his job.

            Mick smirked. “Nah, I can handle a few thugs.” He patted the holster on his leg, where his heat gun was kept. “Don’t you worry about me.”

            In a rare show of affection, he leaned down to kiss the scientist. Ray moaned against his partner’s lips, and when Mick pulled away, he rose slightly in an attempt to follow. Mick chuckled.

            “Get back to your nerd stuff. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He pushed himself off the desk and strode back towards the door of their makeshift lab. “And finish the sandwich!”

            “Yes, sir.” Ray grinned. He watched Mick leave longingly, remembering how they met.

           

            _It was before he became the A.T.O.M, back when the suit was nothing but a glove and a set of plans. He’d been working late at Palmer Tech when an alarm went off, signaling a break-in at R &D. Without thinking, without even considering calling security, he hurried down to the labs. _

_What he found when he got there was a burly, extremely attractive man digging through his files. When he heard Ray approach, the man he would later know as Mick Rory drew his weapon—a red gun with some sort of canister on the side of it—and turned to face him. Ray held his hands up, even though the man didn’t look like he was going to shoot him—in fact, the man looked more confused by him than anything._

_“What the hell are you doing here?” He asked, and wow, his voice was rough and deep. Ray swallowed._

_“Uhh…I own the building? This is my company.”_

_If anything, Mick seemed more confused. “You own the building…but you came down here to check the alarm, unarmed, instead of waiting for security?”_

_Ray shrugged. “Well…”_

_“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve heard.”_

_Ray gaped at the thief, offended, but Mick lowered his gun and returned to what he was doing. Not sensing he was in any danger, Ray stepped over to see what he was looking at._

_PROJECT HEATWAVE-FAILED_

_Ray frowned. “Why are you looking through our failed projects?”_

_Mick motioned his weapon. Now that Ray had a better look at it, he could see it was damaged from what looked like frost. “It’s a heat gun.” He explained. “Friend of mine gave it to me, but it got damaged. I know how to fix it, but I haven’t been able to figure out how to make it work longer without recharging. Heard about your Heatwave thing here, thought I’d check it out, see if the nerds here might have some ideas.”_

                                                                                                    

            Somehow, that conversation developed into Ray offering to help Mick fix his gun. Then, Mick finding a design flaw in the A.T.O.M suit, because, despite appearances, Mick was actually a genius when it came to engineering, as long as he had plans to go off of. Then, it came to Ray offering Mick a job that paid really, _really_ well—Head of Security—while he helped him build the A.T.O.M. Then, by some twist of fate, their relationship turned intimate.

            Mick was the only person that Ray knew always had his back, and Ray was the only person Mick trusted. Ray sighed—he loved that crazy pyro.

            He turned back to his work, only to have his focus interrupted again by the metal door of the lab shoot into the lab by… _lasers?_

            He whipped his head back around to see a tall, skinny man with glowing red eyes standing in the open entryway, flanked by two common mercenaries. Littering the ground behind him were two of the guards Mick had left behind to watch out for Ray.

            The scientist’s eyes widened. “Ummm…if you wanted a meeting, all you had to do was make an appointment.”

            The leader of the group smirked. “Sorry. Couldn’t wait that long.” He stepped inside, motioning for the mercs to watch the door. “You see, Dr. Palmer, I’ve been paid a lot of money to retrieve that alloy you’ve found. And I’m going to get it.”

            Lasers shot from the man’s eyes, striking a section of wall behind him. Ray ducked down quickly. Need a plan, need a plan…

            A.T.O.M suit.

            He pulled the tiny suit out of his jacket pocket. It was a good thing he’d practiced putting the suit on quickly.

0000000

            When Mick walked back into the lab, his heat gun was drawn, and his face was wild with panic. In a strange way, it was a relief to Ray that the former criminal was always so worried about him. Even when a metahuman and two mercs were lying unconscious and tied up on the floor of his lab, and Ray’s attention was back on the dwarf star alloy sample.

            “Ray?” Mick rushed over to his chair and pulled him to his feet, giving him a quick once over.

            “I’m fine, Mick.” Ray assured. “Though, we might need to call A.R.G.U.S to come get these three.”

            Mick’s panic melted away to annoyance, and Ray couldn’t help it. He leaned forward to kiss it away.

 


	3. Firestorm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: In this story, Firestorm isn't just Martin and Jax. There's another consciousness that sometimes takes over that is referred to as Firestorm. Almost think of Phoenix and Jean Gray...sort of. 
> 
> They're supposed to be the role of the Hulk, if that makes more sense.
> 
> Also, two more Legends appear in this chapter, and return in the next one.

* * *

 

**PHILIDELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, SIX WEEKS BEFORE THE INCIDENT**

            Jefferson “Jax” Jackson pulled his baseball cap lower when he caught sight of the news broadcast reflected in the convenient store freezer door.

            FIRESTORM STILL AT LARGE. TO REPORT ANY INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL:

            He shook his head and grabbed a Coca-Cola and a bottled water. Keeping an eye on the other patrons of the store, he moved along the snack aisle. He grabbed a couple bags of Cheez-its and, with a scan to make sure no one was watching, shoved them into the pocket of his pullover hoodie, followed by a pack of mini Oreos. Then, he grabbed a bag of Combos and walked up to the counter.

            “This all for you today, son?” The kind, old woman behind the counter asked.

            Jax nodded and reached into his jeans to pull out his last $20. She began ringing up the items.

            “Shame about that.” She motioned to the television behind her, where they were still reporting on Firestorm. “That young boy has his whole life ahead of him. Now, the government wants to take it away.” His graduation picture flashed up on the screen. Beside it was a picture of Gray accepting some award years back. He swallowed hard and hung his head.

            “Yes, ma’am.” He replied, faking a strong, British accent and accepting the bag of goods from the woman. “Damn shame.”

            He exited the store, relief washing over him that he wasn’t recognized. That is, until he spotted a man across the street, eyeing him fearfully with a cellphone to his ear. Jax cursed and broke into a run.

           

            It took him a few twists and turns down alleyways, but eventually, he made it back to the abandoned apartment he and Gray were squatting in without anyone following him. When he walked in, Gray—Professor Martin Stein—was curled up on the ratty bed, typing out on a laptop they’d stolen back in Keystone.

            He pulled a bag of Cheez-its out of his pocket and threw them and the water bottle on the bed. “Got dinner.”

            “Thank you, Jefferson.” Stein acknowledged without looking away from the screen. “Were you seen?”

            Jax shrugged, opening his soda. “Someone called the police when I left, but I think I lost them. We should probably leave soon, though. Just in case.”

            Stein nodded. “It’s fortuitous, then, that I have found who we’re searching for.” He turned the laptop to show Jax the mugshot on the screen.

 

            MARK MARDON: AKA WEATHER WIZARD

            STATUS: ESCAPED

 

            Jax frowned. “You think this guy could tell us about what’s going on in Iron Heights?”

            Stein tilted his head. “It’s extremely conceivable. He’s the only one who’s ever escaped. If anyone could tell us what happens to prisoners there, it’s him.”

            He snapped the laptop closed.

            “How are we supposed to find him?”

            Stein stuffed the laptop into his pack and plopped a floppy fishing hat on his head with a triumphant grin. “Weather patterns, Jefferson. Weather patterns.”

0000000

            They tracked Mark Mardon down to a beat down Waffle House just outside of town, where the meta was hunched over his coffee and eggs at the seat near the bar. Jax kept watch near the door while Stein approached the man.

            “Hello, sir.” He greeted nervously. “I…I know who you are. Mark Mardon, am I correct?”

            Mardon’s fork stopped.

            “I’m not working for A.R.G.U.S or the police, I assure you.” Stein quickly remedied. “My name is Martin. My colleague, Jefferson, is by the door. We’re both metahumans, like yourself. We…we have questions about where you were imprisoned, and what experiments they performed on you while you were there.”

            Mardon raised an eyebrow, before letting out a deep chuckle. “You and your friend think that you can stop what’s happening in that prison.” He spoke up. “You’re wrong.”

            Suddenly, a strong breeze began blowing through the restaurant. But when Stein glanced at the door, it was firmly shut. This was not good.

            “You never asked how I escaped.” Mardon continued, rising from the booth. “Or what I did to get there.”

            Jax came running to help Martin, but Mardon waved a hand, and, before either could react, a gust of wind threw both of them out the glass window and into the parking lot. Mardon followed dramatically, the gale following behind him.

            “Martin…Jefferson. I know who you two are. I know who you’re hiding, who you’re suppressing.”

            Martin glanced at Jax. “Jefferson, we must merge!”

            Jax shook his head. “I couldn’t fight it last time, Gray. It could take complete control!”

            “We must take that chance!”

            Jax gave him a pained glare, but still offered his hand to his mentor. Martin accepted, and two became one.

            Firestorm rose from the asphalt, a mean gleam in his eye. _“Stay calm and in control, Jefferson.”_

Jax took a deep breath. He could do this. Control. Control.

            A manic laugh followed by an impact of hale broke Jax’s mantra. _Ah, hell no._

He fired up, flying above Mardon to launch fire balls directly at his smug face.

            _“Jefferson, we must lead him away from civilians.”_

            “I know, Gray!” Thinking quickly, Jax flew down to grab Mardon and threw him towards the empty lot half a block away.

            When Mardon stood back up, he was not happy. “Fight me!” He screamed. A storm brewed above Firestorm’s head. “Face me and fight me!”

            Jax was about to fly off, when a bolt of lightning struck his back, knocking him out of the sky. They crashed to into the lot, hard.

            'HOW DARE HE?'

            _“Jefferson, don’t listen to it.”_

'HE _DARES_ TO STRIKE US DOWN? HE WANTS THE FURY OF FIRESTORM? HE CAN HAVE IT.'

            As long as Jax lived, he would never forget the look of pure terror on Mardon’s face when Firestorm rose from the ground, a bloodthirsty expression on its face, its flames exploding from its body.

            _“Jefferson, control! Don’t let it take over again!”_

'SILENCE!' Firestorm hissed. 'WE ARE FIRESTORM.'

            Fire struck Mardon down. The meta moved to crawl away, but Firestorm struck him down again. It laughed wickedly as Mardon struggled to get away.

            “You can’t run.” It said, using Jax’s voice. “Not from us.”

            Then, a barrage of bullets knocked Firestorm down. “Oh, no.”

            _“Oh, no.”_

Firestorm growled. “Eiling.”

           

            General Eiling’s unit—a tank and a small squad of military trucks—was descending on them. Martin and Jax had spent their entire existence as Firestorm—ever since the lab accident between Professor Martin Stein and his undergraduate student, Jefferson Jackson, merged them together because of Eiling’s interference—evading the general. Somehow, though, he always found them.

            _“Jefferson, we must run!”_ Martin warned, but Jax was no longer in control.

            “We will not run.” Firestorm announced. “We will _win_.”

            Martin knew Firestorm was one of, if not _the,_ most powerful recorded metahuman. When Jefferson was in control, their powers were dampened by his own self-doubt and morals. But when Firestorm itself took control, there was no telling what could happen.

            He had no doubt that they would defeat Eiling’s forces. How much bloodshed that would result in, however, frightened him.

            Then, a voice echoed over them.

            “General Eiling, stand down!”

            Firestorm glanced up to see an A.R.G.U.S plane hovering close by. “By order of A.R.G.U.S, you are ordered to stand down and leave Firestorm to us!”

            The ramp of the plane lowered, and two figures jumped down into the lot.

            ‘Us’ seemed to include a young, blonde woman dressed entirely in black—black leather pants, black corset, black leather jacket, topped off with a black mask covering her eyes—wielding a bo staff, and a man dressed in a bright blue parka and black clothes underneath, goggles over his eyes, holding some kind of gun that glowed blue.

            “Stand down, Firestorm.” The woman called. “Only warning. My friend here isn’t afraid to shoot.”

            The gun pointed to them. “I personally like using my gun. So, please, fight all you like.”

            The woman rolled her eyes. “Cold.”

            The man—Cold—grinned. “Just saying, Canary.”

            Firestorm growled. “We do not stand down. Firestorm can destroy both of you.”

            Cold rolled his eyes. “Sure.” Then, he open fired.

           

            It was cold… _so cold._ If they hadn’t been made of fire, the impact of Cold’s gun would’ve been a lot worse, but it still put out their fire for a minute. Canary used the opportunity to throw a device to the ground, which emitted a high frequency screech. They fell to the ground, hands over their ears, and Stein tried to talk sense back into Jax.

            _“Jefferson, break free! Fight Firestorm and flee, or we will be arrested!”_

With Firestorm distracted, Jax had all the chance he needed to take control back. “I am in control.” He stated, rising to his feet. The flames—Jax’s flames—roared up around them once more. “I am in control.”

            He threw a fireball at their feet, just close enough to throw them off balance, and turned to fly off. Unfortunately, that’s when Eiling decided to get involved. The tank fired.

            _“Jefferson, the plane!”_

They were small enough to evade the shot, but there was no way the A.R.G.U.S plane still hovering by them had a chance. In the cockpit window, he could see a woman not much older than him with long brown hair, staring frightened at the oncoming fire. There were people on board—people just doing their jobs, trying to protect the world from threats, which honestly, Firestorm could be at times. His attention darted between the oncoming shot and the open sky behind him.

            It was a no brainer. One that both he and Stein agreed on.

            They flew at the attack coming towards them, hands outstretched, and Jax concentrated all of his power.

            _“You can do this, Jefferson.”_ Stein encouraged him. _“I believe in you.”_

            He took a deep breath. The tank’s shot impacted them…only to drop down to the ground as water. Below them, Jax could see Cold staring at them in shock, and maybe a bit of gratitude. They weren’t able to revel in it for as long as they hoped. Taking advantage of the distraction, Canary launched another weapon at them—this one attaching itself to their back and sending shocks of electricity through them.

            Jax fell from the sky, feeling their bodies separate in midair. As his sight turned to black, all he could think about were the horrors waiting for him and Stein at Iron Heights.

           

           

 


	4. Captain Cold

* * *

 

**IRON HEIGHTS SUPER-VILLAIN PRISON, SIX WEEKS BEFORE THE INCIDENT**

Len hated visiting the prisons. As an ex-criminal, they brought back some rough memories. But his orders, no matter how stupid, involved personally escorting Firestorm into the facility.

            Firestorm. They’d told him that the meta was volatile, a danger to society. He’d destroyed at least three neighborhoods in Central and two in Starling before A.R.G.U.S got involved in the manhunt. They called it a monster.

            But what Len had seen in Philadelphia was no monster. He and Sara had observed the fight before Eiling got involved—Firestorm tried to move the fight _away_ from innocent people. The kid inside the beast tried to control it as best he could until Mardon decided to be a douche. Then, there was the shell from the tank.

            His heart had nearly stopped when he noticed the shell heading for the plane—the plane _his sister_ had been piloting. Firestorm could’ve flown away, but instead, Martin Stein and Jefferson Jackson saved his sister at the cost of their own freedom. He didn’t understand.

            He strode with purpose through the halls of Iron Heights.

            IDENTITY, one of the security protocols called out, LEONARD SNART. CODENAME: CAPTAIN COLD

            Doors opened for him, each hallway holding the cell of a more dangerous meta than the last. Past Weather Wizard, Tokamak, Livewire, Magenta, Sand Demon, Geomancer, Nimbus, Deathbolt…all the way to the final cell at the end of labyrinth.

            It was a larger room than the other cells. On one side of the room, chained to a pulley in the ceiling, was Jefferson Jackson, a twenty-one-year-old undergrad student and part-time mechanic. On the other, Professor Martin Stein, sixty-seven-year-old, award winning physicist. He was chained similarly to his counterpart, so that if one were to move closer, the chains would pull the other away. There was no way for the two to touch and merge.

            A doctor was drawing blood from Jax’s neck when Len stepped inside. “Stop it!” Martin shouted. “You can’t take our blood! You don’t know the ramifications!”

            “Technically,” Len drawled, drawing the old man’s attention, “he can. You’re in prison—you don’t have rights anymore. Trust me—it sucks.”

            He motioned for the doctor to get lost.

            “So,” he said once they were alone, “this is the big, bad Firestorm. I gotta say, neither of you look like menaces to society.”

            Stein rose to his feet. “Please, let Jefferson go!”

            The kid gaped at him. “Gray, no!”

            “Jefferson can’t turn into Firestorm without me, and I’m the one who has the formula.” The professor continued as though Jax hadn’t even spoke. “I can make as many Firestorms as A.R.G.U.S wants me to make, just let Jefferson return home to his family.”

            Len frowned. “What the hell are you talking about? A.R.G.U.S doesn’t want more Firestorms—one of you was hard enough to deal with. I came down to ask why you saved that jet instead of running.”

            Jax scoffed. “We’re not the monster everyone thinks we are. That’s Eiling and A.R.G.U.S. Ever since Firestorm was invented, they’ve wanted to take it and make it a weapon. Open your eyes, man.”

            Len’s frown deepened. When Sara recruited him five years ago, he thought that he was going straight—no more breaking the law, no more thinking only about himself and the next score. Sure, he’d had to cut ties with his closest friend, but Lisa had joined with him. They were going to be heroes.

            He always knew that A.R.G.U.S was full of grey. _Sometimes you have to take extreme measures to prevent catastrophe_. He wanted so badly to deny that A.R.G.U.S would ever take something as dangerous as Firestorm and weaponize it…but wouldn’t that make him a naïve idiot? Waller would shoot her own grandmother in the face if it meant getting the job done. Why would this be any different?

            Unable to look at Firestorm anymore, he backed out of the cell and shut the door behind him. He was hurrying out of the prison, when he spotted a familiar blonde head rounding the corner in front of him.

            What was Sara doing there? She hadn’t been sent to oversee Firestorm.

            He followed swiftly and silently, slipping through the shadows like the thief he would always be, until she slipped into a secured room, and came out with two vials of blood.

            _No. Sara, what are you doing?_

0000000

 

**A.R.G.U.S JET, OUTSIDE OF IRON HEIGHTS, SIX WEEKS BEFORE THE INCIDENT**

“Computer, access logs and field reports from operative Black Canary.”

            Was it wrong to violate his partners trust this way? Maybe.

            Did he feel bad about it? Not after he watched her steal Firestorm’s blood.

            PASSWORD NEEDED.

            “Shirley.”

            ACCESS ACCEPTED. ALL RECORDS FROM LANCE, SARA, CODENAME: BLACK CANARY, HAVE BEEN MOVED TO A PRIVATE SERVER.

            Len sighed. “Then access that one.”

            PASSWORD NEEDED

            He threw his head back. Why did Sara protect her passwords so well?

            “Bird.” ACCESS DENIED

            “Laurel.” ACCESS DENIED

            “Assassin.” ACCESS DENIED

            “Bi-power.” ACCESS DENIED

            He paused. “Len?” ACCESS DENIED

            This was hopeless. There was no way…wait. It couldn’t be that easy, could it?

            “Nyssa.” ACCESS GRANTED. PLAYING LAST COMMUNICADE.

           

            A small holo-message appeared on the pad in front of him. It was Sara, talking to an unseen audience. _“A.R.G.U.S has no idea. They put so much trust in their special ops agents. All I have to do is walk inside and take the sample. Meet me at the following coordinates in three hours.”_

            _“Good.”_ A muffled voice replied.

            “Computer,” Len ordered, “show me who she’s talking to.”

            A HIVE ghost appeared in front of her. Len felt a cold stab through his heart. Sara was betraying A.R.G.U.S. She was betraying _him_ , after everything they’d been through.

            He checked the time stamp. The message had been sent two hours and twelve minutes ago. If he hurried, he could catch her selling Firestorm’s blood and…

            And what? Turn in his partner? For once in his life, Len didn’t have a plan.

            He cursed. He’d figure it all out on the way there.

0000000

 

**THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT, SIX WEEKS BEFORE THE INCIDENT**

            He was waiting when she arrived. His head was still reeling. Even watching her approach the two ghosts with his own eyes, Len had a hard time believing it. He ducked behind one of the rock structures, waiting for the moment she showed them the blood.

            Then, he fired.

            A streak of ice knocked the canister with the vials out of her hand. The ghosts and Sara all jumped back in shock. “Leonard?”

            He aimed his cold gun at her. “God, Sara.” He hissed, fighting down the betrayal and heartbreak he felt. “I gave up everything because you said that you thought I could work for A.R.G.U.S and be something more. And now, this?” His finger twitched on the trigger. “Why? Why did you betray us to HIVE?”

            Sara glanced between him, the ghosts, and the canister for a second, before hanging her head. “No, Leonard. Why did _you_ betray us?”

            “What?” was all he could say, when Sara suddenly threw a dagger into the ghosts’ throats. A spotlight lit up above him. “Sara, what’s going on?”

            She stared at him with such betrayal, _he_ almost believed he was the traitor. “Was it for the money, Leonard? Did you fall back into bad habits? What’s Lisa going to say?”

            A.R.G.U.S agents descended on him, and all Len could think was how much he wanted to fill Sara with ice. He didn’t even fight when they took his gun and slapped cuffs on him. “Take him to Belle Reve and stick him in solitary!” Sara ordered. “No one speaks to him until I give the word.”

            His last glimpse of freedom was Sara, watching sadly as he was lugged into an A.R.G.U.S prison jet, like she wasn’t the reason he was getting locked away.


	5. Kara Zor-El --Supergirl

* * *

 

**NATIONAL CITY, TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE INCIDENT**

Kara couldn’t believe the world she’d discovered on the other end of their portal. When Jor-El first showed her what he called “The Gateway”, she’d been amazed. A whole new world just waiting to be seen...but even then, the reality didn’t hit her until she was flying through the sky of a new planet in a different universe where people were living their lives, making friends, falling in love.

            Sure, after the destruction of Krypton, most of the survivors found a home on New Krypton, a planet with a yellow sun that gave them fantastic powers. That had been a life changing experience for all of them, but even that couldn’t compare to this new world.

            “Help!”

            A scream caught her attention. Using her super vision, she spotted a woman near the top floor of a building, CATCO, standing at the edge of a broken balcony. The people down below pointed up and screamed, but the woman seemed the epitome of calm as she faced off something inside the building attempting to push her over.

            Kara flew as fast as she could when, finally, a bolt of electricity struck the ground near the woman’s feet, and she tumbled back off the balcony. She dove for the woman, scooping her into her arms in midair and flying her gently back down to the ground again. The woman quaked slightly, but otherwise seemed unharmed.

            “Are you alright, Miss…?”

            “Grant.” The woman answered. “Cat Grant. One of my employees I fired turned out to be a meta human that now wants me dead.”

            Suddenly, a strike of electricity hit the ground in front of them, and a woman with gray hair formed from the light. Her eyes moved between Cat and Kara. “I see you have a bodyguard now. Is that it, Cat? Let’s see if she can survive LIVEWIRE!” She threw a bolt directly at her, but Kara jumped in the way, taking it all as best she could.

            “Run!” She yelled, attempting to push forward. Cat obeyed, but only enough where she could duck behind a nearby car. The electricity became too much for Kara, and she was thrown back into a wall near some frightened spectators, who all decided to scatter when Livewire approached, hand crackling with static.

            “Oh.” She sneered as Kara attempted to roll over. “You’re still alive. I wonder how much juice I’ll have to fill you with before your heart finally gives out.”

            Kara bit back a scream as her body lit up with pain, and Livewire just cackled.

            “Leslie!” She heard Cat shout. “Leslie, stop, please! It’s me you want. Let her go!”

            Kara struggled against the pain, searching for some way to stop Livewire. If electricity in this universe was anything like hers, it could be stopped by water. She used her x-ray vision to spot a large pipe just underneath them. If there was any logic to them, this would be a water main.

            She punched through the ground with every bit of strength she had left and pulled the pipe free. Like she hoped, water shot out of the end, hitting Livewire and knocking her to the ground. She grinned.

            Livewire was down.

            Once she fixed the pipe, Cat approached with a curious expression. “You’re a new hero, aren’t you?”

            Kara shifted nervously under the woman’s assessing eye. “I come from another universe, from a world called Krypton. My name is Kara Zor-El.”

            Cat pursed her lips. “That’s a little long. How about ‘Supergirl’?”

            Kara gaped at the woman. The first human she’d come in contact with, and she acted like Kara was an average person. It made her feel… _comfortable._

            Before she could answer, a blue portal opened above her head. “Kara!” She heard her cousin call. “Your mother wants you back home. She says it’s an emergency!”

            She glanced between the portal and Cat, who put her hands on her hips and smirked. “Well, don’t you have somewhere to be, Supergirl?” 

            With a smile, she shot up into the portal.

0000000

 

**NEW KRYPTON, TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE INCIDENT**

When Kara landed, Kal-El was waiting. He had an uncharacteristically solemn look on his face. She frowned. “Kal, what’s going on?”

            Her younger cousin shifted nervously. “It’s your aunt. She’s done something terrible.”

            Without another word, he flew into the air to lead her to the main meeting house, where they held trials for prisoners of the state. She followed Kal inside, shocked at what she found.

            Astra, her mother’s twin sister, was standing trial, along with her husband Non, and a group of other Kryptonians she’d seen around New Krypton. Around the room were a handful of others—Kon-El, Lor-Zod, Mon-El, among other high ranking members of the community. Her mother was proceeding over the trial, her eyes cold and hard, like it wasn’t her own flesh in blood in front of her.

            “Mother, what’s happening?” She demanded, flying over to stand at Alura’s side. “Why is Aunt Astra on trial?”

            Her mother didn’t even look at her. “Astra is accused of attempting to unleash a weapon on the people of our planet. The evidence is irrefutable.”

            “I was trying to save our planet!” Astra argued. Her eyes shifted from her sister to Kara. “Please, you must understand. Our methods are harsh, but they will save us all. I would never put our people in danger, put my _niece_ in danger!”

            “Enough.” Kara hated the unemotional tone her mother had when doing business. “I am sentencing you to the Phantom Zone. There, you will be unable to harm anyone with your device.”

            She waved her hand, and an aide brought forward the device to open the Phantom Zone. Kara grabbed her mother’s shoulder.

            “Mom, please. It’s Astra. Surely, we can talk about this.”

            But it was like Kara wasn’t even there. Alura nodded at the aide, who powered the machine, taking each prisoner one at a time. “You’re going to regret this, Alura.” Astra warned as Non was sent into the Phantom Zone. “I won’t stop until Kara and all the people we care about are safe.”

            “That’s what I am doing.” Was all Alura said before a flash of light sent her only sister away. The room was silent. “Clear the room. I wish to speak to my daughter privately.”

            The aide and few observers, including Kal, nodded and took their leave. Kara tensed, unsure of what was so important that her mother had to speak to her.

            Alura sighed, her mask of political power falling away to reveal the tired, loving woman Kara knew as her mother. “I heard you were visiting Earth today.”

            Kara smiled. “Yes. It’s amazing there! Everything’s so different, yet still somewhat similar. Not everyone has abilities like us, but there are some who stand up against those who do that use their abilities for evil. I was fighting one earlier, and this woman, Cat Gran—”

            “Kara.” She paused at her mother’s interruption. “I’m glad you like it, but you’re neglecting your duties here. One day, you are going to take my place here. I need you to prepare for that, not be playing hero on Earth.”

            Kara’s smile fell. “But…I like helping people, Mom. I saved so many lives today, and I’ve never felt more like myself. I…I don’t want to do what you do.”

            Alura laid a hand on her daughter’s cheek. “I’m sorry, but there’s no choice. This is your place, your role here. You can’t just throw it away because of some fragile beings.”

            “But Mom,” she argued, but her mother held up a hand.

            “That’s enough, Kara. I don’t want to hear about it anymore. I want you to stay here on New Krypton.” She turned away to grab her things from the small podium beside her. “Now, I want you to return home and stay there. I have a feeling much will happen in the upcoming weeks.”

            Kara exited the hall angrily. Her mother’s refusal to listen to what she wanted always angered her, but today it was worse. Why couldn’t she accept that Kara didn’t want to stand above people and sentence them? She wanted to do something _before_ it got to that point. She wanted to be a hero.

            “Hey.”

            She nearly jumped out of her skin until she saw who had walked up beside her. “Mon-El.” She laughed. “You scared me.”

            He chuckled. “Sorry about that.” After the destruction of Krypton, the people discovered that their planet’s destruction caused many other planets in the same system to become uninhabitable. So, when they discovered New Krypton, the few who escaped the other planets were welcomed, regardless of race, as Kryptonian citizens, and elected representatives for their races. Mon-El was one of three from Daxam who were able to escape the planet, and, because of his station working for the prince, was their representative.

            “That was intense in there.” The Daxamite continued. “Are you okay?”

            Kara shrugged. “Not particularly. My mother…she’s being overbearing.”

            He huffed. “She’s ignoring you in favor of what she wants again?”

            “Yes!” Kara exclaimed. “I want to go and help out on Earth, but she’s so concerned with me growing up to be her, she won’t listen to a thing I say.”

            “You want to go to Earth?”

            She nodded. “Just the few times I’ve been there, I’ve loved it. I want to see more, experience it. Why do we have these abilities if we don’t use them for good?”

            She glanced over at Mon-El, who was biting his lip nervously. “Look,” he whispered, head darting around like he was afraid someone was listening in. “I think that I can help you.”

            Hope filled Kara’s chest, followed by doubt. “How?”

            He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her away from anyone who could over hear. “I’m going to New Kandor for some government thing tomorrow. I’ll be there for four Earth weeks. I’m telling you in Earth weeks because, if I tell your mom that you’re coming with me to study political affairs, you can have that much time on Earth. Your mom would never think I was lying, and you’ll get to go to Earth. No one will ever know.”

            It sounded too good to be true. She considered the situation. She sends a message to her mom that she was leaving to go with Mon-El—she could even lie and say that after Aunt Astra’s arrest, she needed time away from home—then, go to Earth.

            What if her mother found out though? What if she called, only to find that Kara wasn’t there to pick up?

 _Better to beg forgiveness than ask person_. A voice that sounded oddly like Mon-El whispered in her head. Even if her mother discovered she was gone, at least she would spend some time on Earth.

            Very soon, she found herself agreeing. She pulled out the portal device. “Thank you, Mon-El.” She leaned forward to kiss his cheek. “Please, be careful.”

            She flew into the portal, missing the dark grin on the Daxamite’s face.

0000000

            She smirked wickedly as the portal closed behind Supergirl. With a quick check around to make sure no one was watching, Indigo shifted back into her blue form. Part one was complete. Now, it was time to move on to part two.

 

           


	6. Heatwave & The ATOM/Vixen

* * *

 

**PALMER TECHNOLOGIES, CENTRAL CITY, NINE DAYS BEFORE THE INCIDENT**

           

            Mick leaned back so his head rested on the window of the lab. Ray had promised to take him out to dinner— “Nowhere fancy!” The pyro demanded. “Somewhere I can get beer on the tap and don’t need a jacket.”—but the time he’d promised to meet at had passed half an hour ago, and Mick was still waiting for the scientist to finish working on his weird A.T.O.M-bot…things.

            He closed his eyes, picturing a juicy cheeseburger with everything on it and a side of steak fries. Damn it, he was starving!

            Suddenly, the building gave a lurch, and a loud _boom_ echoed from the bottom floor. _At least it’s something to do_ Mick thought, drawing his heat gun and running for the stairs. By the time he reached the bottom floor, a woman dressed in all white was running out the door. He followed, ordering the front receptionist to call the police and then A.R.G.U.S.

            The second he was outside, he fired his weapon at the retreating figure. The woman turned, clearly shocked, even if Mick couldn’t see her entire face through the black visor over her eyes. “Did you just shoot at me?” She scoffed.

            Mick snorted. “Lady—”

            “It’s Doctor.” She corrected. “Doctor Light.”

            He rolled his eyes. “Whatever. My boyfriend-slash-boss just stood me up for our date night to focus on building stupid androids. I’ve got all kinds of aggression I’d really like to take out here. So, please, make me take back whatever you stole.”

            “Wait, he did what?” Shockingly, the woman seemed offended for him. “That’s such a jerk move. I can’t believe that. I mean, who stands up date night for work?” She did a once over. “Especially someone like you.”

            Mick was part ways between feeling weirded out and flattered. “I’m not doing this. Can we just fight?”

            Doctor Light shrugged, and she raised her hand to shoot out—surprise, surprise—a beam of light from her gloves. Mick tuck and rolled out of the way, simultaneously firing at her.

            “Does he do this often?” Doctor Light asked, projecting illusions of herself all over the street. “Like, does he also ignore you in favor of his work, too? And sometimes, is it like he’s not even there when you’re together?”

            Mick did a sweeping motion with his flames, taking out half of the illusions. “He’s smart. He likes his work.” He defended, charging at through an illusion he believed was the real Light.

            “Still,” The real Light continued, sending a kick into Mick’s abdomen, “you’ve got to feel unappreciated.”

            Mick caught her foot and flipped her to the ground, but Doctor Light was fast. The minute she landed, she kicked his feet out from under him, knocking him down to the cement.

            “I dated a guy like that once—it was _so_ annoying. I mean,” she continued, moving to straddle and pin him down, “look at you—you’re out here, fighting me to get this tech back, and where is _he_?”

            “Right here.”

            Before she could react, Doctor Light was thrown back off of Mick, and Ray was standing above him, A.T.O.M suit on with a smug-yet-charming grin on his face. He held out a hand to help Mick to his feet.

            “Sorry.” He said, removing his helmet. “I’ve been really caught up on work, and I’ve been forgetting date nights and anniversaries and birthdays—”

            “He forgot your birthday?” Doctor Light asked from the ground. “Hon, you could do so much better than him.”

            Ray’s jaw dropped in offense, but Mick just chuckled. “Anyway…” The scientist continued, turning back to Mick. “I love being the A.T.O.M and finding ways to help people, but I also love you. I haven’t been good at showing that recently, but I’m going to be better, I promise.”

            Inside, Mick warmed at Ray’s words. On the outside, though, he rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, Haircut. I just want a burger and a beer. Can we go now?”

            “Absolutely, Mr. Rory. Right after the two of you answer some questions for me.”

            They both turned to see an intense looking woman step out of a dark SUV. Behind it, a prison van pulled up. Mick groaned.

A.R.G.U.S. He forgot that he’d told the receptionist to call them.

Ray smiled politely. “Ms. Waller. Pleasure to see you again.”

Amanda Waller, Director of A.R.G.U.S, smiled back tightly. “Dr. Palmer. Mr. Rory. If we could find a place to speak in private?”

A group of agents hurried out of the prison van towards Doctor Light, removing her gloves and cuffing her. Mick almost felt bad for her—he’d known people that were locked away in Belle Reve. It wasn’t a pleasant place.

“Of course.” Ray cordially agreed, motioning towards his building. Mick sighed internally. He wasn’t going to get his burger anytime soon.

0000000

Ray led them into his office, motioning for Waller to sit in one of the plush arm chairs in front of his desk while he settled in his own. Mick took his usual spot against the wall behind him, eyeing the director suspiciously. He didn’t like Waller, and he wanted to make sure she knew it.

“So,” Waller said, crossing one leg over the other, “the two of you took down Doctor Light. That’s quite the achievement. A.R.G.U.S has been tracking her for months, and you two took her down in less than half an hour.”

Ray leaned back in his chair, suddenly in ‘CEO’ mode. Mick smirked. It was kind of hot. “Mick did most of the work. He’s head of security, and very good at his job.”

“Oh, I’m sure.” Waller nodded absently, reaching down into her briefcase to pull out a folder and toss it onto Ray’s desk. Seeing the name on the folder, ice ran through Mick’s veins, and Ray’s eyes widened in panic.

 

“RORY MICHAEL CALHOUN”

 

            A small smile ticked on the edge of Waller’s mouth. “Mr. _Rory_ has quite the history. Did you think that by changing his name, we wouldn’t notice him here, Dr. Palmer?” Ray glanced worriedly back at Mick. “Arson, theft, kidnapping, aggravated assault…just to name a few. Your head of security has quite the skill set.”

            “He’s reformed.” Ray insisted. “He hasn’t broken a law since he came to work here four years ago.” Mick noticed Ray’s fists clenching in his lap. He’d never seen the scientist so angry.

            Waller was unfazed. “I’m aware. This meeting isn’t really about Mr. Rory’s past. It’s about both of your futures—a future with A.R.G.U.S.”

            The pair shared a confused look, and Waller pulled out two forms from her bag. “I know about your goals, Dr. Palmer—you wish to protect the world from threats the police can’t handle. That’s what A.R.G.U.S is all about. We deal in extremes. I would like you both to become A.R.G.U.S agents. With your skill sets, you could both be real assets.”

            “No, thanks.” Mick was shocked it was Ray who said it. All his boyfriend wanted since his fiancé, Anna, died was to be a hero and change the world. A.R.G.U.S was definitely a way to do that. But Ray stood up from behind his desk like every bit the business man he was and grabbed Mick’s file.

            “I know why you brought this here, and what you’re trying to accomplish by parading it in front of us, Ms. Waller. I don’t appreciate you trying to manipulate us into joining your agency.”

He threw the file into the wastebasket. “Mick and I are making a difference right here. I’ve created some robotic guards for all four of your prisons—Fort Rozz, Lian Yu, Iron Heights, Belle Reve. I even helped develop some of the security protocols inside Belle Reve. But I’m not going to let you hold Mick’s past over our heads like a sword to convince us to do something neither of us are comfortable with.”

            He moved to the door and threw it open. “Now, Ms. Waller, if you could leave us alone. I have a company to run, and Mick has a security system to renovate.”

            At first, Mick thought that Waller was going to do something drastic—it wasn’t unheard of for her to shoot people who stood in her way—but the woman rose calmly from her seat and strode over to the door.

            “If you change your mind, Dr. Palmer, you have my number.”

            Ray all but sneered. “We won’t.” He nearly slammed the door shut behind her. The office was quiet. Ray was vibrating with anger, glaring at the door like he could shoot lasers at Waller if he concentrated hard enough. Mick just stared at him.   

“That…was hot.” Ray turned in confusion, but after watching him throw out what was possibly the most terrifying and powerful woman on the planet, Mick was seriously turned on. “You more or less just told a woman _I'm_ terrified of to go screw herself. It was hot--like, I-want-to-have-you-on-this-desk-right-now hot.”

An embarrassed yet confident smile appeared on the scientist’s face. “No one does that to my boyfriend.” He topped it off with a wink, and seriously. How was Mick supposed to resist that? 

 

* * *

 

 

**ZAMBESI, AFRICA, FOUR DAYS BEFORE THE INCIDENT**

The village was quiet. The night was dark. But Amaya knew something was about to happen. Her mother was teaching her how to protect the village, to heighten her awareness so she was just as formidable without the Tantu Totem as she was with it, once she inherited it from her mother. For now, her normal, human senses were on alert, telling her that danger was coming.

            She ran to the edge of the village, but her mother was already there, looking out worriedly. “They’re coming.” Was all the warning her mother gave before the sound of gunfire broke through the silence of the night. Her mother tapped the totem around her neck.

            “Amaya,” she ordered, “help the villagers get to safety. I’ll hold them off.”

            Amaya paused, knowing that event the totem was no match against a bullet, but ran back to obey her mother’s orders regardless.

            “Every head for the mountains!” She called out, helping the elderly and children find other to lean on and assist them. Most of the people were out by the time the small army began invading the village. Most were met by Amaya’s mother throwing them back where they crawled out from using the gorilla spirit, but the few who came through began setting fire to the houses. Amaya took the majority down, but the fires spread until most of their homes were up in smoke.

            “Amaya, run!” She turned at her mother’s yell, only to see a large warlord approach her from behind.

            “Mother, look out!” But the warning came too late. The man open fired into her mother’s back. Amaya screamed and ran to her, falling down to her side.

            “No, please stay with me.” She begged, but her mother grabbed her by the hand to silence her. With a quick look to make sure the warlord was busy, her mother ripped the totem loose from her neck with all her strength and dropped it into Amaya’s hand.

            “They’re after…the mound.” Amaya frowned. The mound near the mountains? She knew that her people prized the mound for it’s powerful, rare metal, but she had no idea that it was worth killing for. “Please…find help. Save our village…Run, now…”

            Her mother’s eyes drifted closed, but Amaya knew there was no time to lose. She needed to go find help. Attaching the totem around her neck, she summoned the eagle spirit and flew away before the warlord could stop her.

            Who could help her take back her village? Who had the power?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is not the end. Just the end of this part of the story. The next story will be the incident and it's consequences. Please stay tuned--as soon as I finish Wasted Wishes, I will dedicate myself to this.


End file.
